CD Review
Various composers: Arcadia, Andreas Scholl
- Composer
- Various (Scarlatti, Gasparini, Pasquini, Marcello and others)
- Artist
- Andreas Scholl; Accademia Bizantina / Dantone
- Label
- Decca
- Catalogue
- 470 296-2
- Reviewed by
- Anne McAlister
It has been nearly three years since counter-tenor Andreas Scholl released a purely “classical” solo disc (his most recent release being a disc of orchestral arrangements of British and Irish folk songs), so this new disc of chamber cantatas is most welcome. It takes its title from the Accademia dell’Arcadia that was established in Rome in 1690 to promote a more simple poetic style based on the Classics, especially Greek and Roman pastoral poetry. Several composers were admitted to this Academy, among them Alessandro Scarlatti, Francesco Gasparini, Bernardo Pasquini and Benedetto Marcello, and it is a selection of their chamber cantatas that feature on this disc. All are world premiere recordings, the main subject matter being nymphs and shepherds (or, more specifically, the delights and pain of pastoral love and rejection).
Scholl’s musical partners are the twelve members of the Accademia Bizantina, a superb Italian period string orchestra led from the keyboard by Ottavio Dantone. In many ways, these double cantatas are what Scholl does best: dramatic recitative preceding da capo arias of widely differing styles, with scope for much ornamentation in the repeated sections and the opportunity to interact intimately with the instrumentalists. The performances are superb, and while the music might be a little light-weight for some tastes, it is good to hear such stylish performances of little-explored repertoire. The instrumental interludes, which include a Corelli Concertino a 7, are equally delightful.
A note on a companion release
Meanwhile, American counter-tenor David Daniels has selected widely from the entire song repertory for his latest album at the time, Songs for Voice and Guitar, with guitarist Craig Ogden on Virgin Classics (545 601-2). Included are lute songs by Dowland, the Bach/Gounod and Schubert versions of Ave Maria, songs by Bellini and Bernstein, the sea shanty Shenandoah and Kander’s A Quiet Thing. Purists may throw up their hands in horror, but the voice is glorious, the guitarist excellent, and the relaxed nature of the content makes it an ideal disc for chilling out after a hard day’s Christmas shopping!
A note on this page
Originally published by Anne McAlister, recovered from mmmusic's own archive and reproduced here as the critic wrote it.
Questions about this recording
Where does the title Arcadia come from?
From the Accademia dell'Arcadia, established in Rome in 1690 to promote a simpler poetic style based on Classical, especially Greek and Roman, pastoral poetry, several composers on this disc were members.
Are these world premiere recordings?
Yes, all the chamber cantatas on the disc, by composers including Alessandro Scarlatti, Francesco Gasparini, Bernardo Pasquini and Benedetto Marcello, were first recordings.
Who accompanies Andreas Scholl on this disc?
The twelve members of the Accademia Bizantina, a period-instrument string orchestra led from the keyboard by Ottavio Dantone.
Is this recording still available to buy?
Yes, Decca's catalogue number 470 296-2 remains findable through classical retailers. We don't run an in-house shop, so we link out to Amazon and Discogs below.
